I was thinking about doing a labor project (specifically, baking a chocolate angel food birthday cake for the baby) when I go into labor. You know, just something to keep me busy during the early part of labor while the contraction are still far apart. I read about it in Birthing From Within and we talked about it in our childbirth classes when I was pregnant with ds, but never gave it serious thought the first time around. I guess I figured I would be too excited once I actually went into labor to bother with anything else (and I was ). But my labor was so long that looking back I can see why it would be useful to find something to do during that early part so you don't go batty focusing on labor.

Is anyone planning on doing a labor project when you go into labor? If so, what?

Has anyone had a labor project with a past birth? Did you find it helpful? Did you actually do it or did it get forgotten in all the excitement?

(I guess what I'm really getting at is that I want chocolate angel food cake and I'm worry that I'll go into labor and not want to bake it and I know I'll no time or energy to bake it once the baby is born, so should I bag the labor project plans and bake it early or wait and see if I'm up to it? )

I think a labour project would be a very nice idea. Last time dh and I went to the mall and picked up a nursing bra that I'd ordered from sears and then went for subs before heading home... It would be nice to have something to focus on. Last time my poor mil was in our house and was really respecting my space by staying out of the room I was in, but she wa puttering around the kitchen, and kept running water, tidying etc etc. I had to ask dh to ask her to go and sit the hell down and be quiet becuase the running water etc was making me crazy.
thankfully she did.

This time I think I might make some soup and biscuts. I find cooking and baking very soothing.

I need a project *now* too...I am driving myself crazy waiting for this baby to get here!

I love that! I'm going a little as well.

I'm a crazy knitter, and I'm planning to pick that up if I feel like it early on, maybe. I like the idea of baking something, since standing up and walking around is probably good for getting things going. That chocolate angel food cake sounds YUMMY! Got a favorite recipe?

Also, since I have a two-year-old, and my ILs are going to be staying at our house watching her, I have a feeling I'll be doing a bit of last-minute cleaning and prep work for that. Nothing heavy duty like scrubbing a bathroom or anything. Speaking of the in-laws, I'm having a hard time conveying to my husband JUST HOW important it is that they not show up too early in labor. He wants to let them know the moment we're pretty sure it's for real - which makes sense since they have to clear their schedule and get over here in a reasonable amount of time - they only live 20 minutes away, though, and I swear to G-D I will kill them if they show right up. Really, I will send them right back home. I want to labor here and in privacy for as long as we can, and I know MIL will be following me around the house fawning on me, or at least at the PP said, doing house work or caring for DD in a manner that will be sure to drive me bonkers.

I had a scheduled c-section with my daughter, and I took a pair of socks with me to knit on in case I got bored after the birth, but didn't touch them in the hospital, and not much after we came home for a while either! I did end up having a few minutes to read a cheesy magazine at the hospital, and that was more fun and right for my state of mind at the time than my normal busy-work.

I didn't do a labor project with dd, but I wish I had. This time I am planning to make cookies and brownies to take to the hospital (a small bribe for the nurses). I already made sure I have the ingredients and they are super simple recipes. If I can't hold off and end up doing that early, I also have a little quilt I am working on for dd's dolls. Plus there is all the little stuff, like picking up the house, making sure dd's food/bags are ready so SIL can either stay here with her or take dd to her house, etc.

I definitely think a labor project is a great idea, but I also love the birthday cake idea (I got my cake in the freezer last week!), so I say make the cake now, and have a different project for labor.

Rachel, married to Andy, mama to Aubrey, Lauren, Sasha, and *surprise* Baby #4, due November, 2011

I'm planning on making a cake with dd, and then maybe doing a craft with her... a t-shirt or something she can paint. I thought about making a cake ahead of time, but we're in the throws of constant power struggles, and if we make the cake now, she'll be one mean kid if we don't eat it Of course, seeing as how dd is a few months away from being 3, and we have no idea how labor is going to go, I don't know if our plans will get to happen or not. We'll see...

I think earl labor will go something like this:
Oh crap! I'm in labor and the house is a mess! Tidy, tidy, tidy. I have been trying extra hard to keep it manageable(the mess) so that dh and I will just have to toss things around a little. I did buy some frozen choc. chip cookies from Costco, and I would like to make some of those for the mws to enjoy. I have no idea what to expect, so who knows what I will feel like doing!

aka ~lioneyes~ :: In love with DH :: DD 5 :: new sweet baby girl 3/14/2011~ both born at home in water

I honestly don't envision having much time to do anything in labor, although Chelsea's vision of last minute tidying will probably have to happen.
When I went into labor with Zoe it was 4 am, so I kept trying to sleep in between what I later realized were contractions, and by the time I realized it was actually labor(maybe 6 am?) I was definitely in active labor, and the time for doing much of anything was over. That said, if I have a wildly different labor pattern with a longer early labor phase, I think the baking idea sounds lovely.

It is hard to say what you'll feel like doing (if anything at all). I like Rachel's idea of making the cake early, freezing it, and finding a different labor project. Here is the cake I'm making. I haven't tried it yet but it sounds good: http://cake.allrecipes.com/az/ChcltnglFdCkII.asp

So, I think I've been in early labor since last night. Watch out - probably TMI below!

I'm getting contractions about 6 minutes apart and lasting for about a minute, but they're not super-intense. I've lost some more plug, this time a little bloody, and I've had the loose stool thing going on as well. It's just not picking up yet. I told my husband if it doesn't pick up by the time my daughter goes to bed that we're "getting it on" to see if that helps.

In the mean time, and here's where this topic comes in...I'm headed to get a pedicure in a few minutes, and I've been filling my MP3 player with good stuff to take to the hospital, among other getting-ready-to-go things. I went ahead and stuck the hair dryer and toiletry things in the hospital bag - I hope I didn't jinx the process, but I'm hoping tonight will be the night.

I bought ingredients to make bananna nut muffins and blueberry muffins. YUM and they make the front of the house smell great. Great way to pass the time and then a nice healthy snack.

Just wondering if i will know in time. Having lots of contractions but they are all over the place as far as timing go's. I'll have 5-10 min apart for an hour then 30 min. of 3 min apart then space to 15 to 20 min. It is nerve racking. You would think I would have this down now by #3

How DO you know? Mine keep picking back up and fading. They've been as close as 3-4 minutes apart, then pretty much stop, and more often around 5-6 minutes apart. But I've only had a few that I would characterize as fairly intense. So confusing!

At least I got my pedicure, and maybe I will do some baking tonight just to keep myself standing up and moving around instead of sitting in one place at the computer or in front of the TV.

How DO you know? Mine keep picking back up and fading. They've been as close as 3-4 minutes apart, then pretty much stop, and more often around 5-6 minutes apart. But I've only had a few that I would characterize as fairly intense. So confusing!

My midwife told me that when it's the real thing you feel them in your back and if you take a warm bath they may slow down but they won't go away. I was embarassed to ask seeing as I've been through this already. The only thing that I remember from the last time was that once they started I had no doubt in my mind that it was the real thing. I think I'm hoping this time will be easier and I won't realize I'm in labor until the baby comes . I have had a few good contractions where I though I should start baking. I guess I'm glad I didn't.